Heartbeat
by laurzz
Summary: DannyLindsay - 3x18 SOOH oneshot


**_A/N: Beware, fluff ahead. You have been warned. :)_**

* * *

_I'm doing all I can do, just to be close to you,_

_Every time that we meet, I skip a heartbeat._

_- Scouting for Girls_

I take a deep breath as I place all of my crap on the security belt, and walk through the metal detector thing. I roll my eyes and sigh as it goes off for the 4th time today, every time I forget my badge. You'd think after the 3rd time, it'd be something I remember, but no- apparently not.

The guy looks at me with raised eyebrows, even his eyes have a country accent. I can tell he's wondering why the hell a NYPD cop is walking through his little metal detector thing.

I see my stuff at the other end, brush past the guy, and grab it all. I shove it into my pockets like I have done for the past god knows how long.

Walking down the hallway, I can feel my heart beat getting quicker and quicker with every step that I'm taking. I flip my phone open and quickly find the text message Stella sent me with the courtroom number, 103.

I glance up, 419. I shake my head, and take a deep breath. There seems to be loads of people around to ask, but I don't dare. Just as I was about to ask some guy and what looks to be his wife, I see a sign on the wall.

_Courtroom 101 – 119 1__st__ floor_

Great, elevator ride it is.

I glance down at my watch. And a whole feeling of "Crap" washes over me. 10:10AM - they've already started. Stella said that they were adjourned until 10AM today, Well, I'll definitely make my presence known, I guess.

I press the elevator button, and it arrives at the floor almost immediately. I practically jump in the damn elevator, and close the door before hitting the 1st floor button, after an 8-hour flight, I'm not really up for sharing.

I press the 1st floor button a million times, before I laugh at myself, yes… pressing it over and over again's gonna get it to go faster.

My heart is more than racing now. I think I even have butterflies, and I didn't think I got butterflies.

Suddenly, the doors open, and I'm there, first floor. My feet stall for a minute. There's no going back now.

Well, actually, there was no going back when the captain turned on the seatbelt sign back at JFK, but that's neither here nor there now, I guess.

I shake my head, and get off the elevator, ignoring the amused and slightly annoyed looks from the Montanan natives waiting to get on the elevator...

I glance up, 103 is down the hall, according to the sign. Of course, it would have to be on the lowest floor, at the other end of the damn building.

I don't care anymore. She's in my reach. I'm breathing the same air as Montana, in Montana.

Damn that's gonna get confusing.

I look up, partially because I've run out of hallway to walk down. I try and move my way through all the damn reporters that have set up camp here, why they're here, I got no idea, but whatever.

My hand hovers on the door for what seems an eternity. I can hear her. I can hear her voice.

My hand is shaking, my heart is beating, and I'm pretty sure these reporters shouldn't be here.

Even in my mind process, I'm putting it off - Go with your instincts – they're what got you here, push the damn door open.

She's stopped talking now, maybe she needs me. She needs me.

I nod at security, and I shudder as the door creaks; I even for a split second consider sssh-ing it. Then, I look up.

There she is, on the witness stand, My Montana.

The look on her face is one I've never seen before. Terrified, broken, tearful almost.

Until she swallows, I think I was the last person she expected to see – I'm pretty sure she wasn't ready for me to be here, she wasn't ready – she still needed space.

Well, there ain't nothing I can do about it now, I quickly dart to the nearest bench, seen as everything's stopped since I drew the most amount of attention possible to myself.

I glance up for a second, just to see if she's still looking, and she is. She's smiling.

She's probably laughing at me, knowing I'm freaking out.

She starts up again straight away, for which I'm glad for. Silent support, that's what I am. The last thing I want to do is put her off.

I listen to every word she says, watch every eye movement, and take in every breath.

I've missed her so damn much.

Jesus, when the hell did I become, what's the word…. Sappy?

"…. I saw a man, holding a shot gun, covered in blood"

The bile rises in my throat. My mind darts back to all the times when she's acted a little different around shot guns. Stella gave me the 411 on what happened, to a certain extent, just while I was waiting at check in.

She witnessed a crime, a very terrible crime. Some of her friends were killed. She was the only witness.

Her words not Stella's, apparently.

"Yes, he's sitting right there, in the grey suit"

Anger rises in me, I hate this guy. I don't even know him; he looks like any random, normal guy. But he's a monster. Like the rest of them – and I couldn't hate him more.

I glance towards Lindsay, seen as she's stopped talking, and my heart swells. That's my girl. That's the Lindsay I know, she's getting her momentum back now. I could tell before she was struggling, she was finding it hard, obviously reliving whatever it is that has haunted her.

I see the determination in her eyes. She's going to nail this guy, single-handedly.

"…I waited a few seconds and then I went out"

I blink, silently willing her to go on. I try and brace myself for what she's about to tell me.

"I saw my friends, there was so much blood, Sarah, the girl who worked there…"

Friends. Girls. Teenagers. Blood.

Cases start jumping out at me, Henry Darius, and them teenagers – Alexa Endicott.

The suicide girl, and telling her mother.

The deaf girl, killed with a shotgun.

Every deep breath, every hesitant movement, and every shaky answer she gave me. All made sense.

I take a deep breath, and blink to rid the tears from my eyes. She makes eye contact with me now. And her eyes are talking to me, just like they used to, like in an interrogation, or across the lab.

They're saying, "Now you know, I'm sorry – I'm sorry I didn't tell you before"

I just hope she still speaks our language and can understand me when mine say "Don't be, and I'm here"

I take a deep breath as she steps off the stand, and my heart sinks a little when she walks to the other side of the courtroom and sits down.

Jackass, that's what you are, Messer, freaking jackass. What do you think it is, coming here, invading her privacy?

There was a reason she didn't tell you.

I sit back on the bench, and try to formulate a plan, think of a reason why I would be here.

_Stella felt you needed a friend_ – no she would have come herself.

_Sid missed you_, - nah, he's wrapped in his own little world.

_Mac_ – yeah, that's right, Mac sent me… because I was driving him crazy.

I hear the closing comments before the jury deliberates. And that heart rate of mine – I swear I think it's in my throat or something.

Why am I this nervous, it's only Montana, it's Lindsay – It's no big deal…

Yeah, that's right, it's no big deal me flying across the country for no other reason then my instincts told me to. No big deal, whatsoever.

My eyes scan across the room over to Lindsay, who's sat on her own. I can see her breathing heavily. She's terrified. I can tell she's wants justice for her friends so bad. It's eating her up. I've never seen her so determined, and yet so broken at the same time.

Suddenly, I feel like I'm swallowing that heart of mine again. People are moving around me. I guess while I was wrapped up looking at Lindsay, the judge called a deliberation.

It's sink or swim, Danno.

I stand up, and walk slowly with the crowds. And hover by the courtroom door.

She hasn't moved. She's sat, head in her hands, crying, I think.

What have I done? She wasn't ready.

Leaning back against the wall, I quickly, desperately think of something to say. We're alone now. Just us.

I push up off the wall, and at the same time, Lindsay stands up. She hasn't even looked at me yet. Not since – since I told her I was here, in a roundabout way.

I take a deep breath, and wait for her to make the next move.

She's stood in the bit between the two sections of seating. And I cannot, for the life in me make out what she's feeling. Usually, I'm good at that. Reading how she's feeling.

I was right, she had been crying.

I open my mouth to speak, but as I do, she starts moving towards me. With every step, she's moving quicker, along with my heart rate, again... And, before I know it, she's in my arms.

There was me thinking she didn't want me here. I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. She's gripped onto my jacket like she did when I went in and got her from that Mosi Ghedi dude, that nearly – well, that's another story.

I plant my chin on the top of her head, and place a small kiss on her head, ensuring I inhale her shampoo.

I've missed that vanillaness. Wait, is that even a word? Well, I guess it is now.

I take a deep breath, and pull her away from me slightly, and smile at her. She quickly pulls me back into a hug, and we stand there for what seems like, forever.

Not that I mind.

She lets go of me, and wipes her tears away. "I'm sorry" she sniffs, as new, fresh tears roll down her cheek

"What for," I ask, as I catch the tears on the Kleenex I had whipped out, just in case.

"Everything"

"Don't be, I told you, if you needed anything,"

"I'm not talking about that"

"What then?" I ask, taking her hand and rubbing her smaller, delicate hands in mine.

"Leaving, not telling you why I was leaving. Not turning up for lunch."

"Water under the bridge, Montana. I didn't know"

"I should have told you."

"Maybe," I agree, "But if you had of told me, I probably wouldn't be here now"

"Maybe" she smiles. "Thank you, thank you for being here, for always being here"

"Don't mention it, Lindsay."

"Montana" she corrects as she leads me out of the courtroom

"Make your mind up, Lindsay, Montana. Whatever your name is"

She giggles as she leads me past them stupid reporters. "Hungry?" she smiles

"Starved," I grin

"I know a cute little diner down the road, the have the best buffalo burgers,"

"Buffalo," I say, alarm bells going off. "Buffalo, really?"

"Yeah" she laughs, "they do other things too, don't panic, cowboy"

"Want never panicking, Montana" I drawl in my best accent.

"We'll work on that over lunch" she grins.

--

--

"Will the defendant please rise?"

I turn and flash a reassuring smile at her. And she reaches for my hand. It's not the first time she's done it today. But, this time it's different. I hold on tight; subconsciously I think it's to tell myself, I ain't never letting go of her again.

I can feel her shaking, and I just want to make it all better.

"…Have you reached a verdict?"

This is it. I hear her swallow next to me, her hand is shaking and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it.

"…We find the defendant, guilty of murder in the first degree"

She looks shocked, initially. I don't blame her; this has been her life, for the past, what… 10 years, finally coming to a close.

And she let me be the one person she shares that with.

We both let out a breath. And finally, I see a genuine smile. A true smile, not a forced one, not a pained one.

A happy smile.

I pull her up into a hug, and like always, she squeezes my shoulders with her fingers. It's unique, it's special – it's Lindsay. It's 'our' hug.

I go for her hand, I mean, she can't want to stick around in here, but as I start to walk off, she pulls me back.

And there's this earth-shattering smile, well, grin actually, plastered all over her face.

I can feel her nose touching mine; this is it – our first kiss.

"… Miss Monroe, how do you feel-"

I turn, and glare at them damn reporters. I knew they shouldn't be there, I just knew it.

I grin at the terrible timing, and reach for her hand. She too is grinning, probably at the same thing I am.

We walk quickly out of the courtroom, looking to the outside world like any other couple.

--

--

I pull up outside where she's directed me, and take a deep breath. What the hell am I supposed to say?

_Alright, well, see you Monday…_

_So, meeting the folks are we… _

_So, 'bout that kiss…_

Just as I was about to open my mouth, she takes my hand, and gets my attention.

"I think it's about time we picked up where we left off" she smiles, leaning closer to me.

I flash her a toothy grin, and decide that now isn't exactly the best time for a wiseass comment, and just follow her suit, and lean in.

And, I gotta say, best decision my instincts ever made.

* * *

**_Huge Thanks to Twinkeyrocks for encouraging me to develop the 2nd half of this. huggles hun _**

**_Hope you enjoyed, R&R?_**


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